Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims at investigating the prevailing practice of managing client
requirements for design and build (D&B) construction projects in Hong Kong. It attempts
to evaluate the limitations and addresses the need for a practical framework for
Findings – The study revealed that the limitations of the current practice included the
briefing process, the lack of impartial agents, the controversy caused by the uncertain
legal status of end-users and the improper timing of raising requirements by key project
needed to improve the client requirements management practice within the construction
industry.
Kong actually exists in various forms within the construction industry, which differ from
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the prototype that has long been recognized. Therefore, a more detailed study into D & B
Originality/value – Little research work has been undertaken on the study of client
requirements management especially for D&B construction projects. This paper has
improved the comprehension of the nature of client requirements and has provided
valuable insights into the prevailing problems associated with the management of client
requirements.
Keywords: Client Requirements Management, Design and Build, Hong Kong, Case
Introduction
The design and build (D&B) procurement system has been regarded as an alternative
integrated project procurement method in the construction industry of Hong Kong over
the past decade. Contractors are responsible for both design and construction of the
facility based on a set of requirements laid down by the client. This procurement system
allows early introduction of contractors and suppliers, and helps integrate their
knowledge and expertise during the design stage (Tam, 2000). This approach shortens the
overall project time span and at the same time, is directly beneficial to the cost efficiency
(Akintoye, 1994).
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Previous researches suggested that briefing is the crucial factor which leads to
improvement of D&B projects (Lam et al., 2008). However, clients of the construction
experienced clients tend to develop a detailed, sometimes meticulous brief; while “green”
clients have a propensity to ignore the brief completely (Murray, 1995). Problems further
practice within the construction industry. An empirical research study using semi-
structural interviews and case studies was conducted to investigate the prevalent practice
The paper aims to present a summary review of the general situation and associated
problems of the client requirements management (RsM) for D&B construction projects.
Literature Review
various levels and perspectives of needs and desires co-exist. It is essential to identify the
key clients and the decision-makers (Miron and Formoso, 2003). In a broad sense, client
refers to particular entity including all the stakeholders who have the right in imposing
requirements to the end product or facility (Bahill and Dean, 1999). Kamara et al. (2002)
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defined a client as the entity that is responsible for incorporating and representing
Client requirements are the initial connection to the industry (Kamara and Anumba,
2000). They reflect the targets, desires, expectations or constraints imposed by the client
on the project functionality and quality (Gilb, 2005; Zielczynski 2008; Robertson and
both tangible and intangible form would be a critical step in construction projects (Chan
et al., 2002).
Requirements management thus refers to the systematic approach that manipulates all
project requirements (Leite et al., 2005). The overall processes include defining, eliciting,
the project (Kamara and Anumba, 2000; Oberg et al., 2003). In order to communicate
with the design team, the client initiates the briefing process by articulating a formal
document which encloses the desired outcomes, constraints, functional and technical
Requirements (ER) in D&B projects (Yu et al., 2005; Kamara and Anumba, 2001; Murry,
1995).
The brief ranges in form from a statement, through a project brief to a comprehensive
detailed materials requirements (Shen and Chung, 2006). It serves as the base of the
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planning, design and technical work of the facility at various stages (Ryd, 2004).
Several research studies have identified numerous limitations regarding the current
Requirements Management (RsM) practice. The project brief is thus seen as a significant
point depositing divaricates on the development of client requirements (Shen et al., 2004).
Many have pointed to the errors generated from the initial brief, as follows (Arayici et al.,
2006; Kamara and Anumba, 2001; Yu et al., 2005; Shen and Chung, 2006):
1. Incomplete and inconsistent requirements and specifications – The brief covers only
limited perspectives of the proposed facility, and stakeholders overlook some vital
parts of the building. Client and professionals seldom perceive the project as a whole
at the inception stage (Leite et al., 2005) and they often underestimate the critical
(Zielczynski, 2008) and the clarity of client requirements in a brief always frustrate
disputes (Barrett and Stanley, 1999); or pays little attention to brief writing.
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which does not generate any value to the project, and refuse to put resources to the
briefing process (Othman et al., 2005). They tend to save time in briefing for early
allowed to be involved in the brief preparation. For efficient use of time on brief
writing, clients and other key stakeholders may prefer having a small group who
The ideal development of brief is best described with an on-going project which
gradually evolves to be more specific and focused when design is progressing (Kamara
clients and professionals. During the development of the brief, there are several
drawbacks that hinder the RsM (Arayici et al., 2006; Kamara and Anumba, 2001; Shen
leaves little room for alterations, and the user requirements are sometimes
(Othman et al., 2005). Apart from creating unforeseeable impacts, changes often
follow the will of client and professionals, who occasionally overlook the initial
intention of the project. Changes violating the original goals often bring about
negative impact to the facility due to mismatch of the master plan and details.
According to CIOB (1988), design and build procurement system (D&B) refers to a
situation when only one organization would be responsible for both design and
construction and the client could appoint a checker for supervising the project delivery
process. The contractual link would be only between the client and the contractor. There
are 3 variants of D&B contracts: traditional D&B, enhanced D&B and novated D&B (Yu,
1998). The differences occur at the design stage and the contractual relationships of
contracting parties involved. Many research studies suggested that there are numerous
advantages of D&B over traditional procurement which has long been used (Akintoye,
techniques)
In light of such advantages mentioned above, D&B gains its popularity in recent years
(Haque et al., 2001) and appears to be the most accepted alternative to traditional
2000) or in public sector projects (Lam et al., 2003; Lam et al., 2004; Chan et al., 2002).
Insufficient knowledge and experience on D&B projects and its dubious risks which
perplex stakeholders could be the main causes that lead to the neglect of this procurement
A factor critical to the success of D&B projects is the development and management of
terse and vigorous Employer’s Requirements during the project development process
(Dorgant et al., 2002). Understanding the requirements of the facility in both functional
and performance terms is the first and foremost step in developing the scope of project
considered at the initial stage of D&B contracts, project briefs are often insufficient and
implicit, and hence may not truly reflect client requirements (Barrett and Stanley, 1999;
Research Methodology
Since there are limited D&B projects in Hong Kong, the research methodology adopted
provided useful insights into how the requirements management process is organized in
specific organisations and projects. The following approach was adopted in this study:
Yin (1981) defined a “case study” as an empirical inquiry that (1) examines a
contemporary phenomenon and context which are not clearly evident; and (2)
incorporates several sources of evidences. Case studies are appropriate to projects that are
significant and representative (Yin, 2009). Qualitative information was obtained from
relevant documentation and interviews, which were regarded as typical and effective data
collection tools for the case study approach (Eisenhardt, 1989). A series of face-to face
interviews with different key project stakeholders were undertaken in March of 2009 for
the case studies. Senior representatives from various major participating organizations
(i.e. client, consultant and main contractor) in the four selected case projects were invited
for interview. Each interview took 1-2 hours and was conducted at the interviewee’s
office. It was assured with the interviewees that all the project information and opinions
acquired will be solely used for research purposes only and their names will not be
disclosed to any third parties due to personal privacy and ethical reasons.
Due to length limitation, four case studies in Hong Kong and PRC were selected to
highlight in detail for depicting the differences in briefing process and problems between
the public and private sectors. The details of the projects involved in the case studies are
listed in Table 1.1, which shows the sector of client, type of project and type of contract
used. Table 1.1 also presents a summary of the findings on requirements management
processes based on these projects and outlines the general procedures adopted, those
involved in the RsM processes, the information collection process and some notable
observations about the requirements management for each project. It should be noted that
practices generally, but rather served to provide some indicative insights into the
Information collected from the research interviews reflected the evolving development of
the D&B procurement system and associated RsM practices within the construction
construction projects, two cases of which from the public and private sectors were
selected respectively in this paper for a more detailed investigation and meaningful cross-
comparison.
Case study 1
The first case study was an institutional facility of which the client was a government
works department. Unlike its role in traditional procurement, the Architectural Services
Department (ArchSD) was responsible for only the initial design development. After
contract award, ArchSD supervised the project progress and coordinated between client
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department and contractor. ArchSD played a dual role as the client representative and
project manager in D&B projects. Professional advice was given on the project-related
Both the client department and ArchSD worked together on the preparation of
brief, room data sheet and technical requirements to ArchSD. Meetings between top
management of ArchSD and client department were held for further clarifications and
During the pre-qualification period, prospective tenderers were provided with a pre-
articulated by ArchSD. Qualified tenderers were shortlisted and given further information
- ER, Form of Tender, Conditions of Tender and D&B General Conditions of Contract.
ER included a design brief, ArchSD preliminary design of the proposed facility in A4-
sized presentations as reference, room data sheet, specifications, etc. ER was bound in 10
volumes, focusing on the factual information and technical prerequisites of the client.
Before tender submission, any uncertainties raised by tenderers were replied by ArchSD
alternatives for further improvement. When the proposal was accepted, it would be
recognized by the Letter of Intent, and the changes would be incorporated into the
contract. Under the two-envelope tendering approach, tenders were divided into two parts
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Principle (AIP) and Detailed Design Approval (DDA). AIP consisted of conceptual and
schematic designs of the facility, while contractor had to submit detailed design drawings
and calculations in DDA. Feedbacks and verifications from ArchSD and the client
department were made during these two submissions. All the procedures were specified
in ER which was bound in the contract. During the post-contract award period, ArchSD
and the client department seldom made alterations to the ER, as only minor changes
would be accommodated since public sector projects need not follow market
In order to achieve a better understanding among key project stakeholders, regular value
ArchSD and the client department organized visits to existing facilities for the contractor
and their consultants. In this project, there was an Administrative Officer who was
responsible for collecting opinions from within the client department, contacting with and
passing related information to ArchSD and documenting daily information flow in-
between. On the other hand, at regular meetings among all stakeholders, representatives
from the Planning and Development Branch of the client department were invited to join
for discussion. For any queries about the technical requirements, the related parties
Problems first arose from the comprehensiveness of ER. Most of the interviewees who
had been involved in the ArchSD D&B projects agreed that ER developed under the
Administrative Procedure were very comprehensive. Requirements ranged from the goals
of the project down to every detail of the facility. In this case study, one consultant added
that this leaves only little room for the project team members to alter the design.
Stakeholders claimed that the contractor could start construction without too much design
development.
The language used in ER is also another contentious issue which bewildered contractors
and consultants. Improper use of phrasings and wordings can mislead contractors and in
the worst case, commit errors during requirements development (Hooks and Farry, 2001).
What the contractor and consultant considered to be vague and ambiguous was seen to be
allowing flexibility in the client’s view. For example, material specifications were often
prescribed with the permission of “similar or equivalent” which implies that there could
be more options or preferences of the client which were not precisely indicated in the
contract. Meetings and sample boards were always indispensable in capturing further
client requirements. Thus, the black and white document may not necessarily reflect
completely and accurately the desire of client. Due to the public sector probity, ArchSD
or the client department could hardly be specific, such as stating the brands and origins of
contractor.
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In addition, the functional brief and room data sheets prepared by end-users before tender
invitation could not truly reflect the end-user’s requirements as raised by them at the
design and construction stages. Client’s expectations and technical solutions mismatched
(Huovila and Seren, 1998) which led to late introduction of new requirements after the
very common that client with less experience in construction projects would have
2007) and occasionally some necessary requirements were overlooked which finally
misled all the stakeholders including the client. Repetitive refinement of requirements
was needed if this would be beneficial to the project (Leite et al., 2005). However, it
would then be contradictory to D&B procurement principles, with the aim of minimizing
End-users, who often lack legal status, play a pivotal role in construction projects (Kujala
et al., 2005). The client department was not an authorized entity in contract but they had
the right to make any final decisions on the facility. Not fully acquainted with RsM, end-
users’ slow response posed difficulties to consultants and contractors on reflecting end-
users’ needs promptly, and on tightening the project schedule (Odeh and Battaineh, 2002).
their obligations are not bound by contract, the facility shall still “fulfill users’
operational needs” and the risk was then shifted to the contractor.
Case study 2
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The second case study was an industrial building of which the owner was rooted in the
PRC region. It was the first factory erected by the company, and before the project, the
company had never been involved in any construction projects in Hong Kong before. The
contractor in this project was experienced in construction projects in Hong Kong, whilst
the consultant was a global firm which had been involved in numerous projects
worldwide.
The client approached the contractor directly and started the project with a simple brief.
The initial brief was only in 4 pages of Chinese writing, including some basic
maximum price (GMP) and the descriptions of overall production line including
sort out other related requirements, which indicated that they were involved in the
development of ER. However, it was not the client’s intention to get the contractor
Requirements of PRC projects are relatively simple: client only prepares a small volume
of written documents bound in a contract, in view of the fact that on top of the contract,
there are well prescribed regulations and practice guideline issued by the PRC
Government.
Based on the information given, the contractor developed a schematic design before
contract award. Room data sheets were also prepared using previous template from other
D&B projects, together with some historical data provided by the client and through
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contract communication meetings; while the consultants used their own in-house
technical specifications as the base, worked out the general specifications with end-user
representatives and the contractor. The final documents were bound in the contract (in
JCT form). The client and contractor agreed on cost by negotiation – using schematic
design for price breakdown and for other detail parts and, using norm indicators for cost
estimation. To avoid any mis-communication among stakeholders, the client invited the
contractor and their consultants to visit the existing factory in the PRC before contract
any possible disputes among stakeholders on the briefing documents, the contractor
studied preceding legal cases on previous disputes on briefing in order to assist the client
in developing ER.
According to the interviewee, the contractor would like to be involved in the preparation
and development of ER, for building up mutual trust between the stakeholders and client,
and help adding value to the project. Early participation of the contractor and consultants
enabled them to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the project and allow a
needs, it should be initiated by the client. Contractor’s involvement, on the other hand,
may not be appropriate since he or she possessed little or no knowledge of the client’s
needs, indicating that he or she may not be a good brief writer (Kamara and Anumba,
2001).
As ER was a joint product of the client, contractor and consultants, few problems arose
from the documents. However, the client possessed too little knowledge on D&B and
they were unwilling to devote time and resources on the development of ER. Unlike
those clients intending to avoid detailed descriptions and preventing legal claims arising
from modifications (Shen and Chung, 2006), they were unaware of their liabilities
(Murray, 1995), whilst being accustomed to PRC practice. Comprehensive national codes
and regulations were issued by the PRC Government, and typical contracts were signed
with reference to those official documents. In contrast, there were little regulations
concerning ER and price setting in Hong Kong. The responsibility of brief development
thus shifted to the shoulders of the contractor and their own consultants.
D&B procurement method, the client failed to voice out their opinions at an early stage.
And similar to the end-users as described in Case Study 1, they might not be able to
express themselves accurately and precisely unless they could visualize the final products
(Lawson, 1990; Ferreira et al., 2007). The client could have overlooked parts of their
requirements until the design became progressively fixed. When there were a number of
options available, the client lost track of time once (Murray, 1995; Odeh and Battaineh,
2002). All the above would lengthen the construction duration or even cause abortive
works. The interviewee believed that without a benchmark standard in monitoring the
schedule, it would be difficult for stakeholders to cope with time, especially for medium
scale projects.
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Impartiality could be another critical success factor to RsM in D&B projects. Since there
was not well-developed framework for the private sector using D&B procurement form,
all the agreements and decisions made are on a compromised basis. The private sector is
still in search of the direction of D&B development. Although there are many criticisms
D&B procurement was considered to be appropriately set (Ferreira et al., 2007). Without
a governing framework, the role of an impartial party is thus significant. Minor conflicts
are unfavourable to any party who appears to be less dominant in the project, and usually
it is the contractor. In contrast with D&B projects for ArchSD, there is no design checker
who is responsible for tracking any changes to the project. Hierarchical difference was
usually the decisive factor to resolve conflicts (Fernie et al, 2003), and yet, it did not
According to Young (2004), there are several decisive factors which generate difficulties
in the implementation of RsM. With regard to the case studies, the following measures
The above case studies revealed that the initial brief is the common source of problem to
both experienced and inexperienced clients. Experienced clients tend to develop their
ERs to include sophisticated details, leaving little room for contractors and consultants to
offer alternatives. In contrast, inexperienced clients pay little attention to the brief and
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totally rely on the professionals. In either case, implicit requirements for the project are
the major cause of problems to the resulting brief (Young, 2004). According to the
D&B projects by allowing contractors and consultants to understand thoroughly the client
requirements (Akintoye, 2004). Murray (1995) stressed that the preliminary project
statement is essential in: (a) clarifying and making clear of the client’s organisation; (b)
illuminating goals of the projects; and (c) outlining requirements. Although there is
controversy over the issue of comprehensiveness of the brief, stakeholders would prefer
to have detailed written requirements (Murray, 1995). Many interviewees agreed that a
well written ER should be in detail form (Lam et al., 2008), in a way that it should also
reserve some rooms for subsequent design development by the contractors. In other
words, ER shall be broad in the scope of coverage and precise, but avoiding meticulous
details.
Many interviewees also pointed to the significance of well defined project goals,
indicating another important issue to the success of RsM in D&B projects. Several
the requirements, improve traceability and effectively prioritize requirements (Songer and
Molenaar, 1997; Arayici et al., 2006; Kamara and Anumba, 2001). Project goals shall be
clearly defined at the inception stage such that all major stakeholders could have a mutual
direction (Chan et al., 2001). Conflicts could be resolved quickly especially when
disagreement arises from personal preferences and project goals. As per the case studies,
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(Young, 2004). Thus, a common and well defined goal is momentous antidote to any
conflicts arisen. A regular review of project goals also helps keep the project on the right
track, eliminate any non-value adding requirements entering into the contract, as well as
Slow response and improper timing of requirements are all related to the procedures in
into the project after the due requirement process is finished, or requirements are
developed beyond the project goals (Robertson and Robertson, 2005). Some interviewees
referred to the need for a design freezing stage for the sake of creep control. However,
(Ferreira et al., 2007; Kamara and Anumba, 2001). Hence, some mechanisms are vital in
Preset milestones and schedule for gathering feedbacks from stakeholders govern the
requirements entering into a project at suitable intervals, especially for tight schedule
mechanisms help check and trace alterations in requirements, hence improving mutual
With reference to Young (2004), the inactive involvement of client as partner in a project
poses difficulties to RsM. Similar to the situation in traditional procurement, client and
other stakeholders may have little incentives in the overall involvement of the project –
the client’s role is elevated while other stakeholders concentrate on their own job duties
without viewing the project as a whole (Leite et al., 2005). Previous research studies have
proved that stakeholders’ commitment indisputably yield positive results to D&B projects
(Chan et al., 2001; Arayici et al., 2006). To encourage the active participation of
stakeholders, both the roles and responsibilities of each contracting party need to be
well-organized project team with specific jobs on RsM facilitates the efficient
Conclusions
This paper has depicted the general practice and limitations of RsM in D&B construction
projects in Hong Kong and the PRC. It has provided valuable insights into the potential
difficulties that industrial practitioners have encountered in both public and private
sectors. Potential constraints that the private sector may face include: (1) a lack of
comprehensive client’s project brief; (2) a lack of active involvement of client in the
While the public sector is experienced in D&B projects, the industry is confronted with
the legislative aspect – the legal status of end-users and the over-detailed project brief.
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On top of those constraints, both industry sectors face the common limitation of improper
To alleviate the above problems, an inclusive project brief is necessary in clarifying the
improve the prevailing practice within the industry. Several recommendations have been
made to align with D&B projects including: (1) comprehensive preliminary project
statements; (2) well defined project goals at inception stage; (3) formal procedures in
gathering requirements; and (4) specific roles and responsibilities of each contracting
party.
This paper has highlighted that the D&B procurement method in Hong Kong and PRC
has evolved in various forms within the construction industry, and they differ from the
prototype that has long been recognised. Leading property developers tend to employ
even possess their in-house project design teams which develop the design of their
properties. Under such situation, the project still maintains a single point of contact as
D&B does, although it is more akin to be the traditional procurement. In this connection,
the Hong Kong Housing Authority has recently developed a new type of hybrid
approach and partial D&B method. Such a new system has been applied to the Kai Tak
Development project for the first time, details of which are still pending at the time of
writing this article. To keep track of the latest development trend of D&B procurement
options, more detailed researches and case studies are envisaged in the near future.
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Acknowledgements
This paper is supported by a research grant provided by the Department of Building and
Real Estate of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Project Account Code: BRE-1-
ZV55). The authors would also like to acknowledge the organisations and interviewees
who participated in the semi-structured interviews for providing their opinions and
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